Imaging system for endoscope

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention include an apparatus including at least one illumination source configured to emit illumination energy and an illumination control system to receive the illumination energy. The illumination control system is configured to control the illumination energy to output a sequence of different illumination wavelengths using the illumination energy. The apparatus also includes a plurality of optical fibers connected to the illumination control system and configured to sequentially output the different illumination wavelengths. Each optical fiber is configured to transmit a different illumination wavelength of the sequence to output the sequence of different illumination wavelengths from the optical fibers toward an object. The apparatus further includes an image capture device including a plurality of pixels, and each pixel of the image capture device is configured to detect the illumination energy associated with each of the plurality of different illumination wavelengths reflected from the object.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 a handle; 
 a member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end connected to the handle and the distal end configured to be at least partially inserted into a patient; 
 at least one illumination light source configured to emit different wavelengths of illumination energy; 
 an illumination control system connected to the at least one illumination light source and housed in the handle, wherein the illumination control system is configured to control an output sequence for each of the different wavelengths of the illumination energy such that only one wavelength of the different wavelengths is output at a given time in the sequence; 
 an image capture device including a plurality of pixels, wherein, based on the sequence, the image capture device is configured to form an image for each of the different wavelengths of the illumination energy emitted by the at least one illumination light source and detected by each of the plurality of pixels, and wherein each of the plurality of pixels is configured to detect illumination energy of each wavelength in the visible spectrum, including each of the different wavelengths, without the image capture device having a structure for separating broad band light into the illumination energy at the different wavelengths; and 
 a processor housed in the handle and configured to generate a composite image from the image formed for each of the different wavelengths of the illumination energy based on the sequence. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein, to detect the illumination energy, the plurality of pixels are configured to receive the illumination energy from an object onto which the illumination energy is emitted. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein each of the plurality of pixels is configured to detect illumination energy of a same wavelength to form the image for each of the different wavelengths of the illumination energy. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the different wavelengths of the illumination energy include wavelengths corresponding to a green, a blue, and a red light. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the composite image is formed based on an intensity of the illumination energy of each of the different wavelengths. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein each of the different wavelengths of the illumination energy emitted from the at least one illumination light source is a wavelength in the visible spectrum. 
     
     
       7. An apparatus comprising:
 a handle; 
 a member having a proximal end and a distal end, the proximal end connected to the handle and the distal end configured to be at least partially inserted into a patient; 
 at least one illumination light source configured to emit illumination energy of different wavelengths, including at least a first illumination energy of a first wavelength and a second illumination energy of a second wavelength different from the first wavelength; 
 an illumination control system connected to the at least one illumination light source and housed in the handle, wherein the illumination control system is configured to control the illumination energy to output at least the first illumination energy and the second illumination energy in a sequence such that only one wavelength of the different wavelengths is output at a given time in the sequence; 
 an image capture device including a plurality of pixels, wherein, based on the sequence, the image capture device is configured to form an image for each wavelength of illumination energy emitted by the at least one illumination light source and detected by each of the plurality of pixels, including at least the first illumination energy and the second illumination energy output sequentially, and wherein each of the plurality of pixels is configured to receive and detect illumination energy of each wavelength in the visible spectrum and only one wavelength in the visible spectrum at a given time such that the first wavelength is detected when the first illumination energy is received and the second wavelength is detected when the second illumination energy is received; and 
 a processor housed in the handle and configured to generate a composite image from the image formed for each wavelength of illumination energy based on the sequence. 
 
     
     
       8. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the image capture device is configured to form at least a first image for the first wavelength of the first illumination energy and a second image for the second wavelength of the second illumination energy. 
     
     
       9. The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the illumination energy emitted by the at least one illumination light source includes a third illumination energy of a third wavelength different from the first wavelength and the second wavelength, the illumination control system is further configured to control the illumination energy to output the third illumination energy in the sequence, the image capture device is configured to form a third image for the third wavelength of the third illumination energy, and the first, second, and third wavelength of the first, second, and third illumination energy correspond to a green, a blue, and a red light, respectively. 
     
     
       10. The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein the processor is further configured:
 receive and process a plurality of images formed by the image capture device to determine a timing of the formation of the plurality of images; and 
 cause the illumination control system to output each illumination energy in the sequence, including the first illumination energy and the second illumination energy, at a timing and for a duration that is synchronized to the determined timing of the formation of the plurality of images such that the image capture device is enabled to form the image for each wavelength of illumination energy one at a time as the one wavelength is output at the given time in the sequence. 
 
     
     
       11. An apparatus comprising:
 a member having a proximal end including a handle and a distal end configured to be at least partially inserted into a patient; 
 at least one illumination light source configured to emit at least a first illumination energy at a first wavelength and a second illumination energy at a second wavelength different than the first wavelength onto an object; 
 an illumination control system connected to the at least one illumination light source and housed in the handle, wherein the illumination control system is configured to control an output sequence of the first illumination energy and the second illumination energy such that only one wavelength of the different wavelengths is output at a given time in the sequence; 
 an image capture device including a plurality of pixels disposed at the distal end of the member and configured to detect illumination energy of each wavelength in the visible spectrum and only one wavelength in the visible spectrum at a given time, wherein, based on the sequence, the image capture device is configured to form an image for each wavelength of illumination energy that is emitted from the at least one illumination light source, reflected off of the object onto which the illumination energy is emitted, and detected by each of the plurality of pixels, including at least a first image for the first wavelength of the first illumination energy detected by each of the plurality of pixels when the first illumination energy is emitted and a second image for the second wavelength of the second illumination energy detected by each of the plurality of pixels when the second illumination energy is emitted; and 
 a processor housed in the handle and configured to generate a composite image from the image formed for each wavelength of illumination energy based on the sequence. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the processor is configured to cause the illumination control system to output illumination energy corresponding to each wavelength of illumination energy, including the first illumination energy and the second illumination energy, at a particular timing and for a particular duration in the sequence. 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the composite image is formed based on an intensity of the illumination energy of each wavelength. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the at least one illumination light source includes a plurality of pump light sources, and the apparatus further comprises:
 a plurality of optical fibers connected to the plurality of pump light sources and disposed within the member, each optical fiber being configured to transmit a different illumination energy in the sequence controlled by the illumination control system to output the different wavelengths from the optical fiber toward the object.